


Hunting for Excuses

by Drag0nst0rm



Series: Feanorian Fun Bingo [2]
Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Hunting trip, Years of the Trees
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2019-06-06 19:41:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15202043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drag0nst0rm/pseuds/Drag0nst0rm
Summary: Aredhel and Celegorm enjoy hunting together.Particularly when it gives them more time to worm their way out of trouble.





	Hunting for Excuses

**Author's Note:**

> For my square "around the campfire."

The hunting trip had been a definite success as the well cooked meat now settling into his stomach could attest. There was more ready to be taken back in triumph tomorrow.

For now, though, Celegorm was content to lean back against the crooked tree growing at the very edge of the clearing with a sleeping Huan’s head in his lap and grin across the campfire at Aredhel.

“Fair’s fair,” he reminded her. “I brought down more game, so I won our bet. Now you have to uphold your end of the bargain.”

“The trip’s not over yet,” she insisted. “And it won’t be until we’re back in Tirion.”

“Which will be tomorrow,” he pointed out. 

“Which is not tonight. Anything could happen tomorrow.”

“Sure. Like me bringing down even _more_ game and turning my victory from awe inspiring to downright embarrassing.”

She flung a handful of dead leaves over the fire at him. “You won by one kill. _One._ ”

“But it was a very _impressive_ kill.” He shook the leaves out of his hair. “Admit it. You lost. Which means - “

“I am _not_ telling my father that I was the one who broke the sculpture he commissioned for Mother’s begetting day.”

“It’s true.”

“It is _fifty percent true._ If that! It was more your fault than it was mine.”

“It’s what we agreed to. Whoever lost had to take the blame. And you lost.”

She crossed her arms stubbornly. “The trip’s not over until we’re both going back. And since he’s going to kill me if I tell him that, I’m not going back until I’ve got more kills than you.”

“That could work,” Celegorm said thoughtfully. “We both just stay out here forever and live off the land like our ancestors back in Cuivienen. That way neither of us has to take the blame.”

Huan cracked open one sleepy eye and looked up at Celegorm hopefully.

“See? Even Huan likes the idea!”

“That’s because Huan hates the city,” Aredhel pointed out.

“It still counts.” He paused. “Except we really can’t stay out for longer than another week, because then it’s _my_ mother’s begetting day, and I can’t miss that.”

“Then I guess you’ll lose our contest, because _I’ll_ be out here taking the lead,” Aredhel said smugly.

“That’s fine,” Celegorm said cheerfully. “I’ll just tell Uncle Fingolfin what happened while you’re gone.”

Aredhel groaned and slumped onto the forest floor. “He’s going to kill me.” She flung an arm dramatically over her eyes. “Maybe Namo will take pity on me and send me back if I tell him it’s all your fault.”

“That’s the spirit.” Celegorm settled in more comfortably. Huan drifted back to sleep. He finally broke the long, comfortable silence and said, “You know, he’s going to realize it was both of together anyway.”

“Oh, I know,” she agreed, sitting back up. “It’s the principle of the thing.”

“Of having to confess?”

“Of letting you win.”

“You didn’t _let_ me do anything. In fact, I distinctly remember bravely overcoming several acts of sabotage.”

She snorted. “Like you weren’t doing the same thing.” She added more fuel to the fire. “Rematch when we’ve served our punishments for running off and breaking the stupid thing in the first place?”

“Done,” he agreed. He paused to consider. “It really was a stupid looking statue,” he said. “We did him a favor.”

“Definitely. You should tell him that.”

“Oh, no. _I_ wasn’t the one who lost the bet.”


End file.
